And God Said "No"

I asked God to take away my pride. 
And God said "No". 
He said it was not for him to take away, 
But for me to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. 
And God said "No". 
He said her spirit was whole, 
Her body was only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience. 
And God said "No". 
He said patience is a by-product of tribulations.
It isn't granted.  It is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness. 
And God said "No". 
He said he gives me blessings, 
Happiness is up to me.

I asked God to spare me pain. 
And God said "No". 
He said suffering draws you apart from worldly cares, 
And brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
And God said "No". 
He said I must grow on my own. 
But he will prune me to make me fruitful.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. 
And God said "No". 
He said I will give you life,
That you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others, 
As much as he loves me. 
And God said, 
Ah, finally you have the idea.

- Claudia Minden Weisz

The Newman Prayer

May God support us all the day long
till the shadows lengthen
and the evening comes
and the busy world is hushed
and the fever of life is over
and our work is done -
then in mercy -
may God give us a safe lodging
and a holy rest
and peace at the last.

- John Henry Cardinal Newman

The Seed

What we do is very little, but it is like the little boy with a few loaves and fishes.
Christ took that little and increased it. He will do the rest.
What we do is so little we may seem to be constantly failing.
But so did He fail. He met with apparent failure on the Cross.
But unless the seed falls to the earth and dies, there is no harvest.

And why must we see the results?
Our work is to sow.
Another generation will be reaping the harvest.

- Dorothy Day
 Aims and Purposes
 The Catholic Worker, February 1940

I Didn't Have Time

I got up early one morning
And rushed right into the day!
I had so much to accomplish
That I didn't have time to pray.

Problems just tumbled about me,
And heavier came each task.
"Why doesn't God help me?" I wondered.
He answered, "You didn't ask!"

I tried to come into God's presence;
I used all my keys at the lock.
God gently and lovingly chided,
"Why, child, you didn't knock!"

I wanted to see joy and beauty,
But the day toiled on, gray and bleak.
I wondered why God didn't show me.
He said, "But you didn't seek."

I woke up early this morning,
And paused before entering the day.
I had so much to accomplish
That I had to take time to pray!

The Merton Prayer

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.

I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone

- Thomas Merton
 Thoughts in Solitude